The Soul Connection Chapter 4: Weak Knees

Chapter Four: Weak Knees

 Mr Quinlan: Okay, now that everyone is here, we can continue with this lesson. Before we begin, does anyone have any questions? 

Finn: I do. 

Mr Quinlan: Yes, Mr Goodwin. What is it? 

Finn: Can we not do anything today? Please.

 Daniel: We can't do that, Finn. That's not right. 

Justin: I have to agree with Daniel. This lesson is important. 

Mr Quinlan: Thank you, the both of you.

April: Just think, once this lesson is over, we have...oh...another class.

Melanie: Good job at saving yourself in that one, April. 

April: Shut up. 

Viola: Okay, calm down. Please, let Mr Quinlan teach! 

Finn: Sure. Sure. Let's just learn. 

Viola: Does the presence of a teacher change your personality somehow? I don't even care. 

Finn: I'm truly sorry, sir. Please, kill me with our wisdom.

Viola: Finn, please shut up before I kill you. 

Finn: Try me, Viola. Put a gun to my head and shoot me. 

Viola: Oh, I will. 

Mr Quinlan: Okay, so before we begin with the boring, lame and the tiresome work I cover at the beginning of each year, I'd like you all to stand up and listen for a moment please. 

April: Hold on, did he say stand up? 

Melanie: I'm sure whatever we need to do I can do sitting down. 

Mr Quinlan: Miss Hale? Please stand up. 

Melanie: Viola is standing up for me. 

Viola: Uh...I'm only standing because I'm confused. What are we doing, sir? I don't remember this last year. 

Finn: You think you're so smart because you've been here for a year.

Viola: No? 

April: I'd be morbid about this situation, but-

Daniel: You can't? 

April: No, I don't want to. I don't know why everyone's suddenly so angry. 

Melanie: This is not the morning for me to be standing up. 

Justin: I know right. 

Daniel: It's just standing. I mean, no one's going to die...right? 

April: You didn't have to be morbid! 

Justin: *writes down something* 

Finn: What are you writing, roomie? 

Justin: Oh! Nothing. Just a few notes about this conversation. 

Finn: What the hell would you want to write about these people? Nothing's exciting yet, Justin. God. 

Justin: Oh. Sorry. I won't write anything else...about you. *he winks*

Finn: You're weird, dude. 

Melanie: Can we continue yet? 

April: Don't rush him. 

Melanie: You want me to show you 'rushing'? It's nothing like this. 

Mr Quinlan: Okay, now that you've gotten all of that out of your system, let's continue-

Melanie: Thank you! 

Mr Quinlan: Don't sit down yet, Miss Hale. I want you to look around the room and think about who you would consider teaming up with for the first assignment.

Viola: Definitely not Finn. 

Finn: Sir, could I possibly work with Viola? 

Viola: Oh no. 

Mr Quinlan: I don't care who you work with, but I do want you to know that this assignment won't just be important for you to learn in this academy, but it will be beneficial for your social life. 

Justin: What's the topic, sir? 

Mr Quinlan: The topic is simple: As you may know, our academy holds a cemetery in the back. I would like you and your partner to research one of the deceased with the friendly help of our faculty. 

Viola: That sounds...fun. Yeah, fun. 

Mr Quinlan: I'm glad you think so. 

Melanie: I'm going to be blunt here. You want us to research the dead people whose ghosts are probably floating around these damaged halls each and every day? 

Mr Quinlan: Yes, I do. Did you call the halls...what? 

Melanie: I said vintage, Mr Quinlan. 

Finn: I shot working with Viola! When can we head to the cemetery place thingy? 

Mr Quinlan: You can do that on you own time, Mr Goodwin. Please ask Viola first. 

Finn: I'm sure she'll say yes. 

Viola: Uh..I don't know. 

Daniel: I can work with Justin or Melanie or whoever. 

Viola: Yeah, you do that. I suppose it won't be too bad with him. 

Mr Quinlan: Okay, so I believe we have Finn and Viola, Justin and April, and Melanie and Daniel. 

Melanie: *sarcastically* Yay! 

Daniel: This better be exciting, sir. 

Mr Quinlan: I'm sure it will, Daniel. Now, you may all take your seats and we will begin our lesson for today. Open your notebooks, please. 

Justin: Yes, sir.

Melanie: God this better go by quickly. 

 ----

April: Hey, Melanie, when did you want to go? I'm ready whenever you are. 

Melanie: Hmm. 

April: Don't tell me you're upset about your partner. 

Melanie: I don't know, April. I don't know if I can trust him. 

April: It's not like he's some crazy murderer-

Melanie: We don't know that. 

April: We don't know-

Melanie: We don't know anything about him, April. He could be some freak who stalks young women. He could be some chainsaw-

April: Mel, stop it. I don't want to talk about any of that right now...Please. 

Melanie: Okay, fine. Who's here, anyway? 

April: What do you mean? 

Melanie: Don't play stupid with me. I know someone's here. 

April: What's wrong with him being here, Melanie? 

Melanie: Oh, it's just him. I'm so sorry. 

April: Hey, stop acting so rude. I share this room with you, so don't think you reign down on this place like some queen of sorts. Now, be friendly.

Melanie: Yes, mother. I know how to act, and besides, we're friends. I assume. 

April: Well, say hello. 

Justin: Hello, Melanie. April and I were about to talk about this assignment among other things. 

April: Are you staying? 

Melanie: I don't see why not. It'll help put off spending time with the freak-

Justin: He's not that bad.

Melanie: You wanna trade partners? 

Justin: Uh, no thank you. 

April: Are you...still okay telling me...with Melanie here? 

Melanie: Why wouldn't he be? 

April: Mel, it's serious. 

Justin: As long as she respects everything, I'm fine. I just need to talk to someone about how I feel. It's hard for me right now to try and deal with all of this, so I need to hear it out loud. 

April: I'm here for you, Justin. I might not know you much, but I want to. 

Melanie: And I'll be serious today. If it's important to you, it's important to us. 

Justin: Thank you, both of you...

April: Anytime. 

Justin: Okay. As you're aware by now, Ja- Mr Quinlan was my step father for quite a while, since he was married to my mother. I..uh, well, we were close for most of that time, and....

*Melanie steals the chair from April* 

Melanie: You want to still be close with him, right? You want him to be married to your mother again, right? 

April: I don't know, Mel.  

Justin: It's not that simple. We were close, yeah, but I always thought that my mother and him weren't right for each other. Call me the reason for the divorce if you want to. 

April: I'm sure you didn't break them up-

Melanie: Did you? 

Justin: In some ways, I did. I wasn't always the best child. I'd spread lies to my mother about what...he did to me. I'd lie, of course, because I genuinely liked him as my step-father-

April: You broke their marriage? Justin, why would you do that? 

Justin: I can explain...

Justin: It's complicated, really. In some ways, I loved the idea that he was my step-father, but I couldn't watch every time he'd kiss my mother. I couldn't bear that romance between them...I...I wanted him for myself. I still do.

Melanie: Holy shit. You like him. You don't just like him, you want him. I can't believe I didn't see it before, in those glances, in those words.

Melanie: You want him. It's all you came here for, isn't it? 

April: Mel, stop it. He hasn't finished. 

Melanie: I'm sorry, continue. 

Justin: She's right, though. I jumped at the chance to be around him, because I do want him. I'm...well, I'm pathetic. I can't believe I could think I have a chance. 
April: Don't beat yourself up over this. It'll be okay. 

 ----

Viola: Danny...I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm angry, and it's only because I'm hurt. I need someone to help me, and you were doing such a...good job. Please. 

Daniel: Vi, I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to start a war with you. I didn't mean to offend you. If you would want, we'll find who hurt you. 

Viola: I'd love that. Thank you, Danny. 

Daniel: Where do you want to look first? Do you think any of the witnesses saw him? 

Viola: I think so. They'd remember his face, I hope. Tomorrow, Daniel, we'll go. 

*Victoria enters in a puff of smoke* 

Victoria: God, they're such whiners. (as Viola) Please, help me Daniel. My name is good in the village! 

*Sean enters* 

Sean: You know you don't have to pity them. 

Victoria: You know you can be mute by choice. Why don't you leave me?  

*Dorothy enters* 

Dorothy: What's the fuss now? I leave for a few hours and I come back to these lovebirds lounging around without a care in the world. 

Sean: God I miss the living world. 

Victoria: Why you'd die then, scientist?

*Derrick enters* 

Dorothy: I can hear him behind us. I wish he'd speak for once. 

Sean: He's mute by choice. He'll speak when he wants to.  

Victoria: Don't worry about him. Can we talk about how pathetic these two are? I'd kill to take one step in her shoes and stike chaos in this filthy world-

Sean: Don't you dare. You don't know what mass chaos you'd create if you even touched her. 

Victoria: You think I can magically control her like my own puppet? You think no-one's tried to step in that pretty brain of hers? We can't. Not yet. 

Sean: You want to, and when we fingure out how, you will. You'll destroy any happiness she has. 

Victoria: You think she's happy? She was nearly killed. Now she's wasting her time on this boy. 

Sean: You don't know what he might mean to her-

Victoria: I know that he isn't worth it. I've watched this world die since I was born, and I'll continue to watch humans struggle to survive because they weakly fall for love. 

Dorothy: We've always fantasized about love since the dawn of time, and we continue to struggle for it. It's humanity. 

Victoria: Is it humanity to destroy those we love and those we cherish? 

Sean: You want to destroy her life! You want to become in power so you be free and alive again, but we know that you're dead and stuck here because you led a terrible life. 

Victoria: My life was my life, and I don't regret the moves I made. 

Victoria: What's the use in learning about the souls creeping around these halls and buried in the graveyard? Are we accepting that people will be knowing exactly who we are? 

Sean: So what? They can know what a marvel I am. 

Victoria: The fact that you died the way you did is the reason you aren't a marvel, Sean. 

Dorothy: You two, could you please calm down. 

Derrick: A-

Dorothy: You upset Derrick.  

Victoria: You think you're a genius, Mr Whittaker? You couldn't do anything to help yourself. You couldn't prevent death, and in return, your attempts to cure yourself backfired and you died. You're weak, Sean. 

Sean: I'm not. 

Sean: You're the weak one. You were given the perfect life if only you didn't destroy it yourself. You reveled in the riches and you drunk the happiness away until you were passed out in the sidewalk. You drugged yourself to death. You are weak.

Victoria: I was privileged, sure, but I did what any girl my age would do! Girls in our current society are killing themselves because they're in love with the thrill. 

Sean: I did the best I could to save myself, but the disease could not be cured. It wasn't just me trying! My co-workers tried, but I died. There's nothing left to say. 

 Dorothy: Victoria. Sean. Stop. It doesn't matter how we died. We are here to support Viola, and we will support her.

 Victoria: But he...

 Dorothy: No more arguments. 

____________

Next time on The Soul Connection: The discovery of the darkest part of the academy stirs up some interesting information, and Jacob Quinlan relapses into bad habits.